please help

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2003
please help
10
Sun, 02-17-2008 - 7:37pm

Good evening.


I have never been on this board and I hope someone can point me in the right direction.  My husband is overweight and not diabetic.  He has a family history of diabetes. My Dh's doctor says lose weight or he will have problems.    BUT, he does not tell us how to do it.  He is in the gym 6 days a week and is not losing anything.  We are trying to find a diet that will work for him to lose weight while controlling his sugar.  My question is this - Can someone recommend a resource book, i.e. Healthy eating for diabetes?  I do the majority of the cooking and I am at my witts end (sp?).  I wish I could find a book that says eat this at this time then this then this and so on.  Sometimes, too many choices can be paralyzing.


Thanks for your time.


Kathy

Avatar for cl_coldfingers
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
In reply to: rbeansmom
Sun, 02-17-2008 - 8:49pm

Hi and welcome to the board.


Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: rbeansmom
Sun, 02-17-2008 - 11:18pm

Hi Kathy,


There isn't such a thing anymore called a diabetic diet. Managing and preventing diabetes requires lifestyle changes that once you make you remain on forever. Diabetic eating emphases fruits and veggies and less of simple carbs, like white rice, white flour, white potatoes and white sugar, and adding fiber to the diet. In other words healthy eating. Leaner cuts of meat and decreased fats are another hallmark. Fast foods are pretty much out because of the serving size and the amount of fats and salts.


There is an article on the board entitled "Eating to beat diabetes". Advance search for it. It will help you better understand diabetic eating.


How much over weight is your husband? Remember muscles weigh more than fat and he may be developing muscles which would make it appear that he isn't loosing weight.



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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
In reply to: rbeansmom
Tue, 02-19-2008 - 7:36pm

I was recently diagnosed the hard way. Ending up in the ICU with a 1100 glucose and here I am writing this. I have lost at last count 40 lbs (have to put batteries in scale). I was given a limited calorie and carb diet. When I was released from hospital I was directed to several classes that encompassed a diabetic instructor and a dietitian.


So....find out if the doctor will write a script and direct you to a dietitian. Health insurance probably will pay. The dietitian will set up a diet guideline for each meal... call the nearest hospital and ask for their dietary department or diabetic instructor they might be able to help you.


Mine gave me how many carbs I could have at each meal and how many ounces of meat I could eat. It really worked.


Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: rbeansmom
Wed, 02-20-2008 - 1:48am
Thanks for posting your wise words. I don't know why physicians don't use diabetic educators more because when you are first diagnosed is when you need this education the most and when you feel the worst. I don't why this is true but it is amazing how well people do in losing weight when they eat in a diabetic way rather than just a low calories diet. What medications are you on now to treat your diabetes? Have you been able to start an exercise plan? I am absolutely sure that you feel better than when you were diagnosed. Congratulations on your success.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
In reply to: rbeansmom
Wed, 02-20-2008 - 1:08pm

I told my husband I was probably very fortunate to have gone through what I did as I may never have had the opportunity to have the educator,

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
In reply to: rbeansmom
Wed, 02-20-2008 - 3:03pm

"4-5 carbs each meal" Is that 4 to 5 carb servings or 4 to 5 grams of carb? 1 serving is not the same as 1 gram. I'm also guessing that that is calibrated to fit with the oral insulin dose you're on.

--Deb

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Registered: 02-19-2008
In reply to: rbeansmom
Wed, 02-20-2008 - 7:55pm

Whoops

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: rbeansmom
Wed, 02-20-2008 - 9:56pm
You are a poster child for how this is supposed to work. You get one of my ATTA GIRL Awards! Congratulations on your success and keep it up.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
In reply to: rbeansmom
Thu, 02-21-2008 - 12:36pm

Wow - that's a lot of carbs per meal! But, as I said, I'm guessing your meds are calibrated to account for that. Right now, I'm on once a day metformin and that's it, so I keep my carbs to about half what you have per meal or a little less (I try to stay between 20-25 grams at breakfast which is slightly less than half). Plus, I try to keep to about 1400-1600 calories per day to lose weight to get down to about 145 which would be a comfortable weight - I know I'm not likely at this point to get down to what I weighed at high school graduation 30 years ago.

Goes to show how very differently each person's body works best

--Deb

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Registered: 09-11-2007
In reply to: rbeansmom
Fri, 02-22-2008 - 7:52pm

Thank you